


The things she left behind

by justinsbuzz



Series: Celestial Connverse-gence arc [10]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gem Fusion, Gen, Kissing, Romance, Romantic Gestures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-23
Updated: 2019-08-23
Packaged: 2020-10-01 18:23:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20364757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justinsbuzz/pseuds/justinsbuzz
Summary: Steven and Connie give each other a full rundown on what had happened over the weekend (Connie’s issues with her grandparents on her mother’s side, and Steven talking about what happened to Obsidian).





	The things she left behind

**Author's Note:**

> It might only be 7K+ words, yet it's relatively short. i haven't done anything dedicated to Connverse in a while, so maybe this might explode some hearts.

Steven could still smell the smoke from the fire on his ruined hoodie. The holes where about the size of a dime, and the jacket was getting old and slowly thinned out in areas. The string that closes the hoodie had long been broken, leaving only one lone string dangling around. He was in the market for a new jacket, but not like this. He wanted to throw it away, but a part of him tells him to hold on to it. Even if the memory of it hurts more than the blisters. The hoodie was the least of his worries, as he set the jacket aside, and picked up his Pink short-sleeve button-up shirt right next to him. He wore it under his jacket as an added protection against the cold. But also wore it as a reminder to what’s important. To what’s at stake if the obsidians broke free. To who’s life is at stake. It felt like Connie was actually there, having his back the whole way. But the cinders and falling ash did a number on his jacket, as well as putting a few holes in his shirt. Two of them were barely noticeable, but the third…

A few light taps came from the front door. Steven had gone back to his promised duties as a house sitter. This meant making sure that a couple of lights were left on in the house, closing the blinds. It was to make it look like there was someone still there. He didn’t have to stay overnight, but after everything that happened the night before, he wanted some time alone.

“Steven?” Pearl’s soft voice spoke. “Steven, may I come in?”

Her voice broke Steven out of his trance. He looked up towards the door.

“Um, yeah. sure.” Steven spoke wearily. “Come in.”

Pearl opened the door slowly and walked in cautiously.

“Hey, Steven.” Pearl spoke. She looked at the other end of the couch that Steven was going to be sleeping on. “May I have a seat?”

Steven, still in a minor dazed state of mind, moved some of his stuff from one side of the couch to the other, so to give Pearl a place to sit. She walked over and sat right next to a quiet Steven, who was staring at the shirt he picked up moments before.

“Steven…” Pearl spoke, seemingly lost for the words she had came over with. Like someone frantically looking for something at the bottom of a deep bag, she would find it eventually. “I…I could try to fix that for you…if you want me to.”

Steven, still in a dazed state, circled his thumb around the burnt hole in his button-up shirt. He felt the raw edge where the fabric burned a hole. He heard Pearls question long before she came over. And he was still thinking about it, too.

“I…don’t know.” Steven mumbled. “I don’t know about anything anymore. The shirt. My mom. The Earth, Jasper. What she did…was it really…could there have been another way?”

Pearl sat there in silence. Her hands did not tremble, but were folded into each other. She carefully thought about a proper, pearl-like answer. All that could be thought about was the truth.

“There’s always another way. There will always be another way. But back then, with things seemingly being at their worse…even then. There could have been another way.” Pearl spoke softly, her foot shifting slightly. “she could have just straight up united the armies of Pink and Rose, and rebelled as one. She could have spoken the truth about the beauty of this planet, how free she felt, and how much she loved it all.”

“Then why did she do what she did?” Steven asked more normally, as though he was feeling more grounded. “I know you might not know the answer. And it’s ok if you don’t. so…what I’m saying is, what do you think?”

“I’ve been thinking about that question for over five thousand years. And Steven, I have never found a proper answer.” Pearl spoke softly still. There was no one in that house but Steven and herself, so there wasn’t any practical reason to talk so softly, other than to convey her emotional stability. “I found improper answers, but those seem to be the most accurate ones.”

Silence instilled itself into the air. And like a car stuck in mud, someone needed to keep pushing the conversation forward. This, to both Steven and Pearl, is rough territory.

“What were they? The reason why she didn’t rebel fully? Could she have done more?” Steven ask, almost pleading for an answer from Pearl. Pearl, at that moment, gently held, Steven’s hand.

“Steven, the answer that I know of is inappropriate, since it’s never a good thing to speak ill of those who have…moved on.” Pearl said, gently Squeezing Steven’s hand. “But the reason why I’m giving you this answer is the answer itself. She…just wasn’t mature enough.”

“Mature enough?” Steven asked quizzically. “But…she was like…hundreds of thousands of years old. Kind of?”

Pearl smirked slightly.

“Honestly, I never knew her age, or how long she’s been around. Or even who made her. But for as long as I’ve known Rose, she never tried to change. She just never could, I guess.” Pearl replied. “But maturity, as I have learned these past few decades, isn’t about age, but what you’ve learned in that time you’ve been around.”

“Then why hasn’t she matured in all of that time? Did she ever learn anything, Pearl? Did she ever try to grow as a person?” Steven asked, sounding confused and lost.

“She…I don’t think she ever did. Or at least I never noticed. Not until the end.” Pearl spoke, squeezing Steven’s hand.

“The end? You mean…when she met dad. When she decided to give birth to me.” Steven said.

“I don’t…actually…yes.” Pearl replied. She sensed that Steven could have read the wrong thing in this reply, so she quickly reworded. “She seemed to always be so sheltered for so long. Even when she was with us, she never interacted with other humans much. I think…I might not have given her that chance. I might have just set her on some pedestal, always seeing her as the perfect being, when in reality, she had flaws that I didn’t want to see for myself. Or that I was afraid to look. I wanted someone to believe in because I never could believe in myself.”

“so…” Steven began to speak, but only to pause momentarily to carefully pick his words. “So…was she a bad person? In hindsight?”

Pearl didn’t speak. She has to think harder now, trying to see the truth that she avoided for so long.

“Steven. Pink…Rose…your mom. She wasn’t a bad person, nor was she a good person.” Pearl replied cautiously, letting go of Steven’s hand and then wrapping her arm around him. “She never had the proper foresight in the future, because she put that pressure on Garnet. She wasn’t that great of a fighter, so she put that charge on me. Amethyst…she didn’t come around until well after the war. Coming out of the kindergarten like that, seeing nothing, or no one...I’ve known Rose my entire life because that’s all I was made for. Honestly, she was complicated.”

Pearl slightly chuckled at the memory of Rose, trying to hold on to whatever tender moments she could remember. Steven pressed on.

“Did she ever find out about Anchorage, though? What the diamonds did?” Steven asked.

“She…she found out, only 100 or so years after it happened. If there was any doubt in her mind about turning her back on Homeworld, they vanished as much as that city did.” Pearl replied, sounding slightly uncomfortable. “Steven, why are you asking me about how rose felt?”

Steven’s thumb still circled the dime sized hole in his shirt.

“I don’t know how to feel about this. About any of this.” Steven replied. “I’m lost, Pearl. I feel like I’ve been lost for a while now. I’m just trying to figure out how I should feel about all of this. Modern humans existing before the diamonds, White Diamond needing revenge. I know I shouldn’t try to be like my mom because it’s something I can never work up to, but I just need to know how to feel.”

Pearl looked startled. Steven almost sounded like herself, feeling lost and without purpose. It needed to change.

“Steven, I need you to listen to me.” Pearl spoke earnestly. “Never try to look up to your mom. Never try to be like her, or try to have the same emotions as she did, because you’ve surpassed her in every way. You had matured more than she did in a micro-fraction of time. You have a big heart, and it’s ok to look within to see how you should truly feel. To see how to feel true to yourself and your emotions. Close your eyes, and tell me what you see. What you feel.”

Steven had shut his eyes, and tried to think about his feelings about all of this. Deep purple, confusion. Light pink, anxious. Emptiness. Confusion. Lost.

“I just feel lost, I’m confused about what to do now. I’m anxious about what…what am I going to tell my dad? What am I going to tell Connie? What…what am I going to do about White Diamond?” Steven said, a couple of tears streaking down his cheek in anxiety. “Obsidian was the only thing keeping White Diamond at bay. And now that she’s gone, I’m not sure what to do now. And I can’t talk to you about it because I know you’re afraid of her. The diamonds would run at the first mention of her. And Connie…what am I going to tell her, Pearl.”

“The truth.” Pearl replied. “Telling the truth is the best thing you could do. I’ll talk to Greg, if you want. And Blue and Yellow Diamond, they won’t run. They didn’t run when you told them that you needed their leg ship. And the ship is still out front of the cavern. Just be honest with them, and just say that you need to know more about her, if that is even possible.”

Steven set aside the shirt, and wrapped an arm around Pearl in a side hug.

“Connie and her parents will be back tomorrow. It’s probably be best to get some rest for now. We’re going to have to clean up a little before they get back. Maybe go by the store to stock up their fridge.” Pearl said, squeezing Steven tight and letting go. “I talked with Priyanka this afternoon, and things…could have gone better. So, it would probably be best if they came home not having to worry about food or what to make for dinner. Which leads me to a different subject.”

“Oh?” Steven asked, feeling a little better than he did before.

“Home Ec. Midterms.”

“But Connie and I have only done….10 classes worth.”

“Plus, the 10 years of me teaching you how to cook ever since you were six.” Pearl said getting up. “And I believe in you. But more importantly, I believe that you can believe in yourself.”

Steven took this to heart. Ever since anchorage, he had been in a deep state of doubt about everything he thought he know about his mother. But now, he felt alright.

“Goodnight Steven.” Pearl said, opening the front door. “And remember, no matter how powerful…she could be, it’s still a dream.”

This was true.

“G’night Pearl.” Replied Steven as the door closed. After a few moments of thinking about what Pearl had said, about how no matter what happens, it’s still a dream, he got up to lock the front door, and settled in for the night.

Steven still had his doubts about how to tell Connie about all of this. He knew she would find out eventually. She had the uncanny ability to get anything out of Steven, no matter how much he tried to bottle it up. This fact alone was enough to give him anxiety, nearly enough to make sure he doesn’t sleep at all. In the end, he fought off the anxiety as well as he could by just thinking about what to cook for dinner tomorrow night for the Maheswaran’s. It’s not like he’s never done it before, and they liked whatever he made them. But with a grade to be tact on to it didn’t make things easier. He began to feel more and more drowsy. Before he could attempt to stay awake even longer, he reached to the ground to touch his ruined button up shirt, or more importantly, Obsidian’s gem that he had wrapped up in there.

“g’night, Obsidian.” Steven said before yawning. “I…I hope you’re ok…”

It was dark. This was not the Dreamscape he had hoped to fall into. It wasn’t at all familiar to him. It was neither Obsidian’s Dreamscape, not White Diamonds. To Steven, it felt like it was a mixture of both. Slight sounds of whooshing came from somewhere near him. All that he could do was look around into the inky abyss. He looked down at his hands to see that they were still visible, meaning that there had to be a light source from above. Steven looked up to see a small hole, shining a nearly blinding light. But from that hole, he saw a large rod coming out of it, and swinging from side to side. A pendulum was swinging from behind Steven. As he turned around, he saw a bronze pendulum going back and forth. The base of it had loose rope wrapped around it. And on the other side, he saw a figure. Or maybe, two figures. Their shape changed after every pass of the pendulum. One figure was long, slender, completely pale, and had long black nails. The other figure was shorter, wore a cloak, and an eyepatch. White Diamond and Obsidian. The pendulum began to move slowly as soon as Steven met their gaze. Back and forth, like a pendulum. They took turns talking to him.

“Steven…” Obsidian said, in a reverbed voice. “It is a dream.”

“Is it a prophecy” White Diamond spoke in a deep and sinister tone.

“She lies. Prophecies are for those who look for excuses for the inexcusable.”

“Not only am I truthful, I am inevitable. Eternal.”

“She’s as eternal as a birthday cake in the vicinity of Amethyst.”

“I will bring you out, Pink.”

“By the way, how’s everyone holding up.”

“I’m coming for you, Piiiiink.”

“Does she ever shut up?”

“I always get what I want.”

“If that’s the case, you want some duct-tape?”

“I’ll get what I want. Eventually.”

“Maybe some superglue in your black lipstick?”

“I will have you. And I will fix you!”

“Geez, talk about a one-track mind, am I right?”

“You will be purified. You will be perfect. I command it!”

“By the way, this is a dream, Steven. A really, REALLY, weird dream.”

“And when I get you, I will rid you of those…distractions. Starting with your little pet!”

“Psh! Rude much? If anyone is a pet in that relationship, it’s Steven. he’s like a silly St. Bernard puppy that likes to kiss Connie, you Slenderman knockoff.”

“And then, I will make you shatter those gem’s you love so much.”

“Oh, Start with Peridot! She’s been trying to ship Onion. ONION IS OFF LIMITS, GREMLIN! Wait, no, don’t shatter!”

“I will teach you how to be a Diamond. And this time, I’ll do it right. I guarantee it.”

“Ok. This is getting really stupid. Steven, keep my gem close to you when you go to sleep.”

“I just need to pry you out of that ridiculous costume.”

“You’re going to need to bring Connie in at some point. You’re a tough biscuit, Steven. but you gotta bring that jam, man!”

“I just need to pull you out.”

“Great. Now I’m hungry. And I won’t be able to reform for who knows how long! I may be down, but not out!”

“Just a quick TUG!”

“Remember Steven, you got this! It’s all a dream that she hasn’t bought tickets for. Kick her out Steven.”

“You will be mine soon enough, Pink!”

“You got this, Steven!”

“Pink.”

“Steven.”

“Pink.”

“Steven.”

Steven’s head felt as though it was about to explode. He needed to wake up. He needed to feel stable. He needed to get out of this place. The more he concentrated, the slowing the pendulum swung. And finally, it stopped. The figure behind the pendulum had changed. It was neither Obsidian, nor White Diamond. It was someone more familiar than anything. It was himself. Steven, but completely pink. Exactly the same as Steven. but as he checked over himself from the other end of the pendulum, he felt something odd. As though something had gone missing. Steven felt weak. Tired, even in his own dream. His stomach ached, and as he grabbed hold of it as it panged, he felt what was missing.

His stomach laid bare. Devoid of the iconic gem he had grown up with. He had never given any thought about how essential it was to him. But now, all of those aches, pains, bruises, cuts. All those things that healed him faster than it would others were coming back.

“N…no.” Steven said, seeing the bruises well up all over him. “This…this isn’t real. It’s still a dream.”

The Steven on the other side of the pendulum looked at the original Steven, hunched over, and on the verge of collapse. Steven had no idea who this person was. But, at the same time, he knew all too well who they were. They were the part of Steven that came from his mom. The Steven that held all of the powers, but was without heart and mind. The original Steven had a heart big enough for the entire planet, and room for a couple of Diamonds. But without that power that his mother gave him, it was all finite.

“Ple- please.” Steven groaned to his other self. “Please. Pink…Steven…save me!”

Pink Steven looked on, confused, but also curious. They had thought the same thing regular Steven was thinking about moments ago. They slowly walked over to them, looking down at Steven. the longer they looked, the more empathetic they became, and the faster they walked. Pink Steven, now at regular Steven’s side lifted them upright, and in that moment. The first moment Pink Steven touched him, the bruises stopped appearing, and slowly receded. Steven, now closer to Pink Steven looked him over. It was as though they were the perfect clone. All the way down to a few stray whiskers he himself had on his own chin.

“Steven.” Pink Steven spoke, their voice reverberated throughout the room.

“Are…are you…mom?” Steven asked, a few tears had rolled down his cheek. Pink Steven closed his eyes.

“She…she’s gone.” Pink Steven said calmly. “But…she’s always been around.”

“Then…who are you?” Steven asked, his strength not returning to him as fast as he had hoped.

“I’m you, Steven. or…I’m a part of you.” Pink Steven spoke, eyebrows lifted. “If I am you, that means I’m not mom. You are me, and I am you. We’ve been the same ever since we plucked our first guitar strings on dad’s ukulele.”

“The first time we face planted into our birthday cake when we were 5?” Steven asked, smiling while feeling very tired.

“Actually, that was all you.” Pink Steven said flatly.

“Wait…really?” Steven asked, sounding concerned.

“Nah, that was a team effort.” Pink Steven said, smiling. “but the bubble incident…you and Connie’s first date…that was me.”

“wow…really?” Steven asked, sounding impressed.

“And the shield thing too. Beyond that, we’ve been one and the same.” Pink Steven said.

“wow…you’re pretty cool!” Steven exclaimed, feeling more tired by the moment.

“We’re pretty cool, Steven.” Pink Steven said, giving Steven a huge hug.

Steven hugged back, just as tightly as Pink Steven was hugging him. The room felt like it had begun to spin around them. Or, perhaps, they had begun to spin around each other. They laughed as the room kept spinning. Once the room had returned to normal, the only person left in there was Steven himself. A thought came into his mind.

“We got this Steven. tell them the truth. And kick White Diamond out of our heads once and for all.” The thought spoke. As Steven smiled, the room, and everything around him turned a bright light yellow.

The light beamed between the blinds over the sliding glass door. For the past two mornings, it had been overcast and bleak. The sun never had a proper chance to break on through the clouds until mid-afternoon. But today felt different to Steven, who he himself felt different. It was an odd but ominous dream. Out of sheer curiosity he lifted up his shirt to see if his gem was there. When he looked, it was, but it felt different to him. After seeing what it would look like without it, he felt a greater appreciation for it. For the first time in a long while, he had felt whole. At that moment, the front door open. His heart pounced out of his chest, worried that it was the Maheswaran’s, and that they came home early. And there he was, sleeping on the couch, and still wearing his pajamas. But it was only a false alarm. Greg, Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl walked in with groceries.

“Hey Steven! you’re up!” Greg said, with an arm load of groceries. “You think you could help us bring in the last bag?”

“I said I can get it guys!” Amethyst said, carrying around two bags of fruit. “And I promised that I wouldn’t crack any of them.”

“I think the problem is less about you cracking them…”Pearl began.

“And more about you putting them in your mouth and... laying them…” Garnet finished for Pearl. 

“I wasn’t going to do that again! Besides, it’s not our eggs, so It wouldn’t be that funny.” Amethyst spoke, sounding hurt. Steven decided to remedy this.

“I…need to use the restroom really quick. I think Amethyst can do it. I trust her.” Steven said, getting up and turning the corner and going into the guest bathroom. I all honesty, he took his time brushing his teeth and using the facilities. 

He had total faith in Amethyst to do something as simple as putting up eggs. Amethyst had matured a lot in the past year and a half. For instance, she hadn’t poofed in ages. She’s been helping the other Amethyst, and even Jasper, get into the groove of how things work on earth. She’s grown a lot, with just a little bit more responsibility placed on her. He was proud of his big sister. When he came out, all three stood aside and completely aghast at what they had borne witness to. Amethyst, to everyone’s but Steven’s surprise, had put up the eggs as well as everything else, without the obligatory ‘laying the eggs’, juggling fruit, flinging frozen food into the freezer like Frisbees, or to Pearls usual horror, telling Steven to look at her melons.

“Is…everything ok?” Steven asked, sounding concerned for the group of shocked onlookers.

“She…didn’t lay any eggs…” Pearl said in amazement.

“I won’t lie though, I…kind of hoped she would have juggled some fruit. She’s great at that.” Greg said reluctantly.

“Guys, this is the Maheswaran’s we’re talking about.” Amethyst said with emphasis. “I mean, Steven’s trying to impress them and show responsibility, despite the fact that he doesn’t have to. And I respect that. Plus, I’ll juggle some melons for you weirdo’s when we get home”

Steven, accidentally, busted out laughing as everyone cringed hard.

“Oh man! Instant regret! Instant regret!” Greg wailed.

“I saw it coming…and yet…did not prepare for it.” Garnet said remorsefully. Pearl couldn’t say a single word afterwards. Her hands were clasped around her mouth. At first Steven thought it was due to shock. But as he walked closer to the kitchen, he could almost hear Pearl trying not to wheeze in laughter. She took one look at Steven, and slowly shook her head. In essence, it was her way of telling Steven ‘not a single word, or you’re grounded until the heat death of the universe’, with just a single look and gesture. Steven wouldn’t tell a soul, but he would remember it fondly. Then again, he’ll tell Connie. Something like that is inevitable.

Much of the day was spent tiding up the house for when the Maheswaran’s get home. The living room and hallways were vacuumed, dusted, and vacuumed again by Pearl just to make sure everything was clean. The guest bathroom had been cleaned as well. bedrooms were shut just like they were the entire time. Connie’s bedroom door had been left a jar when they had left, but Pearl shut it too. Steven respected her privacy. It wasn’t like he had never been in there before. Ever since they ended up being taught by Pearl, they would sometimes study in there using flashcards. They would sometimes study in the living room, or at the kitchen table. but within an hour of studying, the tables would be strewn with old history and science books, as well as papers of notes and pencils. It got to the point where, as long as the door remained wide open, they could study in there. Nothing major had ever happened, it was all strictly studying, with the casual break once at the top of the hour for some grapes and maybe an episode of a random show they had taken interest in that month. It was a cozy room, to Steven. but as long as Connie wasn’t around, he stayed away.

By midday, a time where the sky would begin to break away the past few days, was still clear, save for the casually passing cloud every so often. It hadn’t rain since early Saturday, so it would have been the best time for Steven to rake the leaves in the front yard. Living up in the north east, the fallen leaves would be plentiful in most places. But for where the Maheswaran’s lived, it was somewhat sparse, even though they did have a Japanese maple tree in their front yard. Even so, it took Steven all of five minutes to rake up. After they were in a pile, Steven has a small feeling of disappointment that it wasn’t large enough. A sinister idea popped up in his head. The kind that would require Amethyst’s help. A plan unfolded to get the largest bag of leaves they could find, and place it all on the front yard. With it being mid-October, it took no time at all to find, and place a decent pile of leaves in the middle of the yard. And with a careful bit of placement, he placed all the red maple leaves on the pile in a shape of a heart. 

The others were impressed with the work he had put into the gesture.

“What do you guys think?” Steven asked.

“Yep. You’re my son alright.” Greg said, chuckling.

“It was a team effort you know!” Amethyst decried. “Those leaves couldn’t have been stolen from those bags thems-”

Steven quickly put a hand over Amethyst’s mouth before saying another word. Pearl could only stare tearfully at the pile.

“Oh Steve. They’re going to love how evenly you piled it up in the exact center of the yard.” Pearl spoke with a quivering voice. “Maybe…I’ll hold off on bagging that until later.”

Steven’s eyes fell on Garnet next.

“So…do you think Connie will like it? No spoilers please!” Steven asked, making sure he just wanted an honest opinion, and not a prediction. Garnet hesitated at first, but began to nod slightly in approval.

“Knowing her, she would love anything you do, Steven.” Garnet said, giving a thumbs up in approval. Steven couldn’t help but blush and grin widely when he heard that. “alright, pack up the vacuum cleaners and mops. The Maheswaran’s will be here in about ten minutes!”

As everyone went back inside to do any last minute cleaning, Garnet turned her attention back to Steven.

“Okay, Steven, did you pack up everything?”

“Yep!” Steven said, motioning the overnight bag that was sitting right next to the door where he placed it earlier that day.

“Yes…ok…but did you pack up everything.” Garnet asked again, but with more emphasis on the word ‘everything’. This nearly left Steven feeling doubtful, but he remembered putting everything he brought with him back in the bag.

“Yes…yes, I did.” Steven asked, thinking hard about if he had packed up everything. Garnet looked off into the distance, thinking carefully about how to ask the next question.

“Did you go into Connie’s room?” Garnet asked bluntly, making Steven feel offended.

“Nope!” Steven said, looking mildly shocked. “Why would I even do that?”

Garnet paused for a few moments and asked a final question.

“Did you put a note under her door to explain everything that had happened in Anchorage?” Garnet asked, just as bluntly as the previous question. This brought Steven back to reality of everything that had happened in the past three days prior. All Steven could do was slowly shake his head, looking shocked.

“I…I didn’t…Garnet?” Steven began to ask. “Garnet…what do I tell her? What should I tell her? What CAN I tell her?”

Steven’s panic came to a brief halt at the sound of a familiar engine of a brown sedan. The Maheswaran’s were a block away. Over Garnet’s shoulders, he could see them, and Connie’s head poking out of the window, with her dark hair waving in the wind. His heart was feeling as though it was giving out and giving in to the anxious feelings of dread.

“G-Garnet?” Steven asked, almost pleadingly. Garnet softly smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Just tell her the truth. She’s tough, and she’ll be more worried about you than anything in the world. And also, it might be a little big, but you’ll grow into it.” Garnet replied. This almost sounded like a future vision. All but the last part. That held no bearing to anything they’ve talked about. It didn’t matter now. They were in the driveway. The engine turned off, and everyone got out. Or in this instance, except Connie, who had decided to hop out of the window and gave Steven a hug.

“Hey Biscuit!” Connie said, squeezing him tightly. “Haven’t heard from you all weekend! What happened?”

Steven hugged back, but was completely frozen. He was lost on any answers he could have given. The only thing that gave him an out was the pile of leaves behind him.

“Wow…nice work on the…butt?” Connie spoke perplexed as to what she was staring at behind Steven. The conversation took a weird turn before Steven turned around to see that the pile of leaves, which was suppose to have red leaves on top in the shape of a heart, had been transformed into a shape of a weird looking posterior.

“That…was suppose to be a heart!” Steven said, feeling annoyed. “What the heck happened?”

His answers came in the form of a sprinkling of red leaves from the sky, coming from a particularly purple propeller-propelled penguin, who happened to be hovering 6 feet above them.

“Big sister prank for the win!” Amethyst decried, as she hovered back home. Steven could hear some snickering from Connie’s parents, who were still in the car. He would have been mad if it weren’t for Connie chuckling as well. her laughter made him feel better. His anxiety had melted away…for the most part.

“I’m going to go put my bag up. Afterwards, I was hoping we could go for a walk and I’ll tell you about the trip. B R B!” Connie said grabbing her bag from the car and heading back into the house. As she did, she looked at the pile of leaves, almost tempted to dive in. “hrmmm……later. Be right back! Again!”

Her parents wanted to give her a little privacy before getting out of the car and grabbing their respected bags.

“A heart, huh?” Doug said looking at the pile of leaves. “I…kind of see what you were going for.”

“And before you say anything about Amethyst…know that your siblings could always be worse.” Priyanka said, sounding tired. “Much worse.”

Steven looked at her. Her eyes were read and slightly swollen. She looked more tired than she had ever been before. Despite laughing in the car earlier, she looked as though she had been crying. Steven wanted to ask if she was ok, but she beat him to the punch with a similar question.

“How have things been here?” Priyanka asked, knowing that if she hadn’t, Steven would have asked something much more uncomfortable.

“Oh…quiet. Everything’s been dusted, cleaned a few dozen times.” Steven said, trying to list off everything but finding out that there was a modern civilization before the Diamonds invasion over six thousand years ago. “Oh, we went to the store, and stocked up everything. I’ll be cooking dinner for you guys tonight, so if there’s anything you want me to make…”

“Actually…Pizza sounds good.” Doug said, yawning. “You’ve done more than enough, Steven. take the night off. Or maybe we could take a raincheck. You could stick around for dinner if you’d like.”

“That might be possible.” Steven said, just as a sudden gust of wind rushed in and blew most of the leaves away from the yard. His heart tanked through the Earth.

“Well…there will me more leaves this fall. And also, why are you not wearing a jacket?” Priyanka asked, staring at Steven. his jacket, mostly ruined, was in his bag. It didn’t occur to him he wasn’t wearing a jacket until now.

“Oh…it’s in the wash right now.” Steven replied, trying to sound believable.

“Really? In the wash? And you had no other jackets to wear?” She asked inquisitively, and with a single eyebrow raised. All Steven could do was nod. Priyanka was too tired to go any further.

“Ok. But if you so much as sneeze, I want to see you in my office tomorrow morning…or actually afternoon. Just try not to die in between those times, okay?” Priyanka said, sounding worried. “I might end up taking the day off. It’s been a rough weekend…and I’m glad to see you, Greg, and the gems are ok. Nice to get back to some normalcy. I’m going to lie down, Doug, wake me when dinner gets here.”

Priyanka trudged into the house, looking more beat by the second.

“I’m guessing the trip wasn’t so great?” Steven asked Doug, who also picked up the back Priyanka had left behind.

“I won’t say much. But what I can say is that we should count ourselves lucky to come from good families who care about each other.” Doug said, lifting both bags. And walking towards the house. “Hope to see you at dinner, Steven!”

As he walked back into the house, Connie walked around him and darted out the front door, carrying a brown parcel, and an envelope.

“I’ll be back dad! Just going for a walk with Steven!” Connie called back to her dad, who would be seen nodding. Connie then looked around for the pile of leaves, only to see none around.

“The wind came and blew my butt away, Connie.” Steven said, trying to sound remorseful for two seconds.

“All good things must pass with the winds of change.” Connie played along, causing them both to snicker as they walked along the side walk going up the street, holding hands.

After a few blocks, Connie had regaled him with a story about everything that had happened in Keystone; the family drama, the dinner, the unpleasant yelling, and the breaking point from when everything fell appart.

“Long story short” Connie began to finish with a brief summary and epilogue. “Don’t think I’ll be seeing my grandparents again, which, no love loss there. Nor do I think I’ll be seeing my aunts either. Aunt Preeta kept sending me hair straightening products for 4 years straight every time I see them.”

“But I love your hair the way it is!” Steven said, looking at her hair that had crown out to past her shoulders. It wasn’t as long as it used to be, nor was it as short either. But as always, it looked soft, wavy, and, if he could, would fall asleep in those soft strands. I don’t think I could ever see your hair straight.”

“You and me both!” Connie said, sounding relieved that someone shared her feelings apart from her parents. “But the worse thing about it all was that my step grandmother kept showing me pictures of boys my age from some of her other friends that she wanted me to date with. That was the breaking point for me and my mom. She laid out all the cards about how she was tired of being told to be anything but herself. And she was tired of not being loved by her family. Plus, to throw in my opinion, I showed them a picture of us at the pool party, with your gem showing, and I thought my aunt was going to have a heart attack. It was funny.”

“But I feel bad about your mom. Just…leaving it all behind like that.” Steven said, sounding concerned.

“You and me both...again.” Connie said, sounding as concerned as he was. “All we can do is be there for her, you know. That means you as well, Steven.”

“That was kind of obvious. Of course, I’ll be there for her. She’s….” Steven trailed off for a moment, remembering his mother, and ultimately everything that had happened in Anchorage. “Connie…there’s something I need to tell you.”

They were only a block away from the pier. But a block was enough time for Steven to tell Connie everything; The final dream with Obsidian, the ominous message, the origins of the obsidian gems, the crash site at the ancient city of Anchorage, the bomb, all of it. As soon as he got to the part about his gem, they had reached the end of the pier. Connie Stared out to the northern bay, where the Diamond’s cavern was, as well as the leg ship. The wind picked up slightly, causing some of her hair to hit Steven’s face. Without even noticing, she brushed her hair towards the other side. She looked to be so distant.

“Connie?” Steven asked gently. “Connie, are you alright?”

She didn’t say anything for a moment, but then she had blinked a few times, and began to speak.

“When…when I was younger…when I read about all of the strange landmarks, and places, and theories about mythical monsters all over, I had a theory that there might have been something more out there. Or something that came before all of this! And…and now…” Connie spoke, nearly trailing off as she turned to face Steven. “I once told that theory to someone who almost seemed like they could have possibly been a potential friend, only to have them laugh at my face. I kept myself in my books since…but now! Now I just want to find them, drag them to Anchorage, and rub it all in their faces!”

“Well…it’s mostly ashes…and random blocks of concrete and steel…and a bunch of dead obsidian gems…” Steven said, sounding depressed. This shook Connie out of her daydream of getting revenge to focus on her boyfriend.

“Steven…Steven I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that!” Connie said, feeling guilty.

“It’s ok, Connie. It’s ok.” Steven said, trying to reassure her that everything was okay, even though it wasn’t.

“Steven, it’s not ok. You’re hurting. I can tell. I can feel that you’re hurting.” Connie said, staring into his eyes, which had begun to slightly well up. “Talk to me, Biscuit.”

“I…I know I shouldn’t feel like it’s my fault…but all of those people…all the things she’s left behind…” Steven began to speak, but Connie took up the slack.

“Found a way to survive.” Connie said, squeezing one of Steven’s hands tightly. “None of that was your fault. Nor was it…completely your mom’s fault. It was White Diamond. And if it was some great act of vengeance by White Diamond, then all I can say was that she did a terrible job because we’re still here!”

Connie, who was looking at Funland from behind Steven, turned him around, and showed him that the evening lights had begun to turn on. The Ferris wheel had begun to glow bright colors. The rollercoasters, filled with park attendees, screamed with laughter as they rolled down the high hump of the ride. And with a keen pair of ears, they heard a couple of prizes being won. All that, being carried in on the autumn wind blowing around the couple.

“Steven…she failed. Big time I might add!” Connie said, spinning him around a few times to face her as they stood on that pier, standing very close to each other. “And we’re going to show her that, Steven. Together, we’ll show her that not only did humanity thrive long after her failed attack, but that Pink Diamond is gone, and if she knows what’s good for her, Steven, she’ll stay as far away from Earth as possible!”

Steven could see raw passion in her eyes. Connie was right. They will not only show White Diamond that she failed, but that Pink is indeed gone.

“You’re right, Connie. We will show her! Obsidian taught us so much how to fight in the Dreamscape that she won’t stand a chance with us.” Steven said confidently, staring into her eyes. The moment ended abruptly when another cold wind blew around them. The lack of a coat caused Steven to shiver in Connie’s arms.

“Oh! Right. Here.” Connie spoke briefly, ripping open the parcel that she was carrying. she pulled out a bright pink bomber jacket with white stripes, and wrapped it around Steven, who suddenly got warmer. The jacket felt well insulated and surprisingly comfortable. “I…got you this for your 16th birthday, in replacement for those respirators. I know the jacket you had before was nearly falling apart, so I thought…well…At least it fits you. Kind of. What do you think?”

Connie wasn’t lying. The jacket did fit him slightly. And Garnet was right when she said that it might not fit too well at first but he’ll grow into it.

“It’s…wonderful!” Steven exclaimed, shifting his shoulders around. “I…don’t think I’ll be taking it off for a while. I might actually sleep in it!”

Connie chuckled while blushing profusely under the late evening sky. Steven’s smile had gone from grinning to something more of a natural state.

“C-Connie?” Steven asked, stuttering after realizing how close he was to her.

“Yes…Steven?” Connie replied, looking deeply into Steven’s eyes, to which they had star shaped irises.

“Do you…remember, during the pool party, that I said that I owed you a pizza lunch…watching the sunset at the lighthouse…and a passionate kiss?” Steven asked nervously. Connie slowly nodded, beginning to blush even more. “Do…do you think I can cash in one of those things?”

“Which one?” Connie said coyingly with a smile. Steven couldn’t hold back. Wrapping his arms around Connie, he had kissed her deeply, as Connie wrapped her arms around him tightly as well. they both felt something familiar. It was as though they were melting into each other, as though the other person was de-materializing, leaving only one person; Stevonnie.

Stevonnie looked down at themselves, but more importantly, they were looking at the jacket they were wearing, which seemed to be fitting somewhat better on them, than it did on Steven alone. Stevonnie, looking impressed, nodded and grinned. Stevonnie then noticed the letter Connie was holding before they fused. Staring intently at the letter, a part of them wanted to open it up. But there was also another part of them that wanted to put it in the inside pocket. The later feeling won out in the end. Folding the letter up, they slid it into the interior pocket and button themselves up in the face of the cold autumn air that they were going to face.

“I…would actually want you…me…to read it alone. I thought I would be sleeping in my bed while I was gone.” Stevonnie said to themselves. “I mean, I kind of slept in your bed when you left to save your dad…and maybe worn one of your shirts…or maybe taken a couple home with me. But you have a ton. And next time you house sit, you can sleep in my bed if you want. And I also think that this should be read in private.” 

Looking down the blocks, they could see the corner of Fish Stew Pizza, and the neon light painting the ground beneath it.

“I think Dad was thinking about having Pizza for dinner.” Stevonnie told themselves. “We’ll walk down there and order something, but we’ll have him drive us home. I don’t think the pizza would survive the trip home.”

**Author's Note:**

> oh man....a day and change left before the deadline for 'The Celestial Connverse-gence". I really wish they weren't going to do a screening. I might go back and touch up a few things, but for now, It's a race against time before i shutter myself away in a bunker for a week to avoid spoilers. I had seen enough with the track listing and who's singing what. let's just say they're lacking something in a certain department, and i might end up remedying that a week after the movie comes out. Oh man, i feel tired.....


End file.
